That was the Missoula Flood, to be exact. It formed Lake Pend Oreille, so that's of interest to us and a lot of other history buffs around here. Ann, from the museum, told me yesterday that if dieting historians want to skip the delicious eats at Di Luna's and come for the show at 7 p.m., they can pay $10 to hear all about it from the experts. If you want to join the dinner crowd, it's $25 a head (includes the show and all profits go to the museum), call Ann at 263-2344.
Since we're going to dinner tomorrow night, I'll do a slight variation on what the lunch ladies used to do with Friday meals at school and just tell Bill it's "cook's choice" for tonight. I'll point him toward the refrigerator and tell him to cook whatever he chooses. And, that same option seems appropriate for today since I've got so much on the plate this morning. It's gonna be cook's choice on the slightdetour menu.
First, I don't want to disappoint anyone wishing to read about the Extreme Makeover Home Edition happenings of late. Rosierose (she's Charlie, our adopted Persian's mom) told me she's much thinner now after spending several hours on the run, preparing and handing out goodies for the VIP's and the workers at the home site yesterday.
She was among the many local volunteers on the food crew. She said Duke's BBQ and Hootie's of Ponderay provided the menu yesterday for about 300 hungry mouths. When she left at 8 p.m., the house had reached the stage where plummers and electricians were inside doing their thing. She said she was inspired by all that she saw while helping out.
I went to the site again yesterday morning via the shuttle bus. The riders included one man who works for Sullivan Homes, the main contractor on the site. He's in charge of organizing the trucks for the week, and he was just plain giddy about what they're doing up there. He told me that the volunteer workers sign on for 12 hours, but many of them are exceeding that. The adrenalin generated from all the excitement just keeps them going, he said.
Another lady on the bus took the day off from her Merry Maids house-cleaning duties to come and watch the frames and wall panels go up. She knew someone from Mandere Construction, the company responsible for assembling the frames at its site in Rathdrum. So, she was jubilant about watching their handiwork come to life.
When I arrived at the site, the spectator crowd was pretty sparse. Eurie Renfrow and her daughter from Elmira had come to Sandpoint early in the morning to board a bus and watch. I knew Eurie from Sandpoint High School. She cooks up those 6-inch high hamburgers at the Elmira Store, and she also told me about the Elmira Family Christmas, which she initiated four years ago. I definitely found a story to tell while talking to this giving soul who keeps moving forward for others in spite of losing her husband in a tragedy a year ago.
Eurie pointed out a man whom she thought was the owner of Sullivan Homes. He's a cheerleader of sorts, even wearing saddle shoes with his blue shirt and hard hat. He loves to talk to the crowds while circulating the site and seeing that things are picked up and kept neat. He said the spectators help provide a positive feeling to all the goings on. As one individual said, watching the workers brings to mind an industrious ant colony, all doing their jobs in meticulous fashion, all staying out of each other's way. I found out later that he's not the owner, but it made a good story for a while.
Yesterday's crowd also included a couple of classes from Lake Pend Oreille Alternative School. Their teacher Randy Wilhelm said it was a graphic arts field trip. We chewed the fat for a while as his kids watched the action. By that time, the toes had once again turned numb, so I joined Randy and his students on the bus back to Sandpoint.
Later in the afternoon, I heard about a tragedy that had happened the day before---one that always hits close to the heart for us here at the Love house. A family had lost its home to fire. Again, today, I'll include information about their needs at the bottom of this posting.
And, today would not be complete without sharing some golden memories forwarded to me by Julie McCormick Knox. Ol' Steve Gill, who's younger than I am, gets a bit nostalgic when he thinks about the Sandpoint of his youth. I believe his musings are worth sharing. I wonder how many readers will recognize his stream of consciousness from the past. If you do, leave a comment, and I'm sure Steve will appreciate knowing you could join him at the Tervan.
Jules:
Christmas in Sandpoint...mmm...sounds like the nightmare scene from "It's A Wonderul Life." I'm George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) running through town looking for Jennestad's and Sprouse Ritz and Ross Rexall and Merwin's water fountain and Gambles and The Garden and Bill's Mobil and Paul's Chevron and Bonner Building and Bargain Supply and The Bootery and Lutzke''s Western Auto and Dalby's Signal Station and Haviland and Luckey's Enco station and the Library (above Old City Hall and the Fire Station and the Police Station when the jail cells looked out to the alley behind Merwin's when it was downtown), and Coast to Coast and Safeway (across from the old 2-story Post Office on Second Avenue) and and Lou's Napa Auto Parts on (Second and Main) and Farmin School and the Methodist Church and at the Mayor Gray is showing "Miracle on 34th Street" at the Panida and Shrake's Used has some fresh dentures and spectacles in the from window (where Sand Creek Inn is today) and Kramer's TV just put a new 25" color TV in a big old cabinet in the front window and Eller's Distributing put a new Oly light n the 219 and the Haworth's Bakery just pulled out some hot, fresh Santa cookies and The Pastime still has a horseshow bar with the Democrats on the south side and Republicans on the north side with old Sober Schilling splitting the two parties drinking coffee from a straw at 6AM.........Wow!!!!!!!
Let me know when you are up there and we will all try to coordinate-meet at the Tam-the sole surviving bastion of what it was....Miller how about an invite?
Steve
Special note: A family in Westmond lost its home Monday when it caught on fire. Jodi Greve, the mother, has worked for the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce and now works for Mike Wolcott at Inland Forest Management in Sandpoint. A fund has been established at Panhandle State Bank under the names Jodi Greve and Cody Likkel (her fiancee).
I know, from experience, this family will appreciate help at this time. If you wish to help out somehow, call Mike at 263-9420. If you have items (furniture, clothes, dishes, etc.) to donate, you can call Kay Short at 208-610-3993.
If you'll pass along the word of this need to everyone you know, that would be great.
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